While friends chose to make the move to Sydney or Melbourne, Malaysian student Kimberly Goh says it was Adelaide’s laid back, convenient lifestyle and festival culture she was drawn to.
Adelaide was always at the top of her list when making the move from Malaysia.
I didn’t want to go to Melbourne or Sydney where I already knew people and had friends living and working there,” she says. “I wanted to go to a city where I could be independent.
Originally moving to South Australia on a student visa to study marketing and communications at the University of South Australia, Kimberly says her migration process was made simple by enlisting the help of a migration agent.
During her studies, Kimberly says Adelaide was the ideal location to live, proving more affordable and accessible compared to the eastern states, both for university costs and the cost of living. She now works in the city too and continues to enjoy the benefits of city living.
Adelaide is so much smaller and gives me the opportunity to work and live in the city. You don’t need a car to get around, everything is accessible, and people here are also much more friendly!
After completing her studies Kimberly gained a casual marketing and events role at the Wellbeing and Resilience Centre in SAHMRI, which was a fantastic learning opportunity. But when a full time role as a Careers Officer at the Kaplan Business School arose, Kimberly jumped at the opportunity.
I have personal experience in this sector, especially being an international student myself. I have such a high level of job satisfaction and feel that I can share my personal experiences with the students I am liaising with every day.
However, she says it wasn’t just luck that landed her employment positions. She believes it’s all about networking in Adelaide. Throughout her studies and initial employment, Kimberly made the most of every opportunity and personal connection she came across, taking up volunteering positions and attending networking events.
Opportunities are always there if you look for them. Adelaide is a small city and everyone knows everyone, so it is really important to network and get involved in any events where you can mix with like-minded people, because you don’t really know who you’ll meet – maybe a new friend or a future employer!
Now working in the career of her dreams, just a 15-minute walk from her home in the CBD area, Kimberly says Adelaide truly feels like home now.
I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. It is a very safe city, it is relaxed and offers so much. To me Adelaide feels like home – everyone knows everyone and it feels friendly and familiar.
Kimberly’s sister has chosen to move to Adelaide to complete her studies in chemical engineering at the University of Adelaide, and her family now come for visits.
Her advice for fellow-migrants if thinking about South Australia?
Sometimes you need to step outside of your comfort zone - then amazing things can happen.